Close Encounters of the Vampire Kind
by Angel of Music lover
Summary: A series of oneshots that describe the unmentioned summer between Twilight and New Moon. Rated T just for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just a little random oneshot I thought of… well… randomly. I always just kinda wondered what would happen if Bella ran into someone who was obsessed with vampires but had all the wrong information. So, this will take place between Twilight and New Moon because I don't even want to have to **_**deal**_** with all that angst. **

**Bella's POV of course. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight **

Why, oh why, does Forks hate me?

It seems that the more I want to be with Edward the sunnier it gets outside. It's as if the very weather wanted to pit itself against our relationship and drive us further away from each other! And to think that Charlie had commented on all the good luck that warm weather brings to Forks.

Though, this is one of the trials of being in love with a vampire. I suppose I have it coming. Being involved with a potentially dangerous vampire has to have its downfalls, right?

So here I was, all alone, in the spiritual looking bookshop that I had snubbed my first trip up to Port Angeles. Of course, I wasn't _alone, _alone. Angela was over a couple shops over trying to find… something. She hadn't actually told me what she was looking for but I'm sure it was more interesting than this shop.

All the shelves were filled with self-help books or with books talking about the power of crystals. Needless to say, this wasn't my kind of bookstore and the distant gray haired woman behind a register wasn't lifting my spirits any.

I was just about to abandon my search for decent reading material and leave the shop to catch up with Angela when something caught my eye.

In the back of the shop there was a small young girl, probably about fourteen or so, who was deeply immersed in a large book. With my curiosity overtaking my desire to leave I walked over, pretending to be looking at a shelf of books, and tried to see what she was reading. Imagine how surprised I was when the book read, in big bold letters, **Vampires: A Complete Guide of Recognizing and Handling The World's Most Dangerous Monster**. It rather looked like something I might have picked up and read insanely at the beginning of this year because of my suspicions about Edward Cullen. But now I was just amused.

Unfortunately, the girl noticed at me staring at her book and she smiled over at me.

"You like vampires too?" she asked, her pale skin blending in perfectly with the decorative white crystals hanging around her face from the walls. I smiled tentatively back and thought up an answer. I couldn't waltz over and say that they were some of my best friends but I was also horrible liar. I decided to go for the safest answer possible, which happened to be a half-truth.

"I love them," I agreed, smiling a little wider now. Her eyes brightened with enthusiasm and she leaned towards me.

"Have you read this book?" she asked breathlessly. "This is my fifth time reading it. I come here every week and hide out back here just to read it because I don't have the money to actually pay for it." The books _were_ rather pricey here.

"I haven't read it," I admitted and moved over to crouch next to her. I have to be honest, I was very interested in seeing the book but not for reasons that this girl might think.

"It's got _everything_," the girl gushed, flipping through the pages. "All the signs to look for, how to ward them off, what you would have to do to kill them…" Luckily she didn't notice how I stiffened at the word 'kill'. I knew she didn't mean anything by it and that she couldn't possibly know but still the word bounced through my mind… clashing against images of Edward…

"Well what does this book say are signs of a vampire?" I asked, shoving my irrational fears back where they belonged. She looked up at me and her eyes glazed, something common for when people list off things from memory.

"Well, there's the pale complexion for starters," she began.

"One point," I thought to myself and waited for her to continue.

"Then there's the coldness of their skin. It's supposed to feel like ice beneath your fingertips," she said and I could tell it was a direct quote from the book itself.

"Two points," I counted silently.

"The most obvious giveaway is their pointed fangs," she said with a small tremor of fear. Or was it appreciation? I had to suppress a roll of my eyes. After all, not everyone knew that real vampires don't have actually have the pointed fangs. But now that I knew this myself the idea of vampires walking around with pointed canines seemed ridiculous and I couldn't believe that someone would actually believe it.

"I always kind of imagined them as being…" I paused and realized that what I had been about to say would totally give away the Cullens and quickly revised my statement, "Kind of pretty." The girl smiled and nodded.

"Most are, but not all." I had to fight to contain my smile. As weird as this girl was I didn't want to hurt her feelings. "And then there's their eyes. They are always coal black." Despite my desire not to offend her I was now beginning to feel irritation. She just lost any brownie points with that statement.

"What wards them away?" I asked, trying conceal my boredom with this girl. She was too engrossed in her need to share knowledge to notice or care anyway.

"The easiest way is with garlic," she explained, flipping through pages and jabbing her finger at a drawing of a garlic bulb as though to prove she was right. "Because garlic is known to have properties that can make a person live longer, kind of like a fountain of youth, vampires avoid it like the plague."

"That's an interesting though," I mused to myself, "Maybe I'll ask Edward about it once he gets back from hunting."

"And there's also the crucifix, of course," the girl continued to prattle, not noticing that I was caught up in my own private thoughts. "Anything holy causes them physical pain." I raised my eyebrows.

"Why is that?" I asked, trying to keep my tone form being icy. "Are they really that unholy or evil?" Despite my attempt to keep my voice calm and indifferent, the girl cringed away from the undercurrent of anger in my voice.

"I suppose," she replied hesitantly, obviously not wanting to anger me. I was turning out to be just as temperamental as Edward these days. I guess it's true what they say about couples who spend too much time together.

I quickly pasted on a smile, hoping that I hadn't frightened her too badly. She was just a girl after all, just a little girl. "Sorry, I've just never been one for religion." It wasn't entirely a lie either. "Is it true what they say about the sunlight then?" The girl's discomfort melted away at the word 'sunlight' and she eagerly flipped through the large book. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Instant burning on contact," the girl announced, with a bit of a smile. "That's why they have coffins after all," she reasoned after a moment's thought. Suddenly, I felt a surge of joy that none of this was true. I could hardly stand it if Edward could never… if he were always in danger of…

"I imagine they're rather frivolous," I suggested loudly, once more distracting myself from the thoughts of what it would be like if things were different. The girl frowned, flipping through her book.

"Well… I suppose they probably have a lot of money around, living so long," she said once she couldn't find the information in her book, but she looked hesitant for the first time.

"Stock market," I added cheerfully. The girl glanced at me suspiciously but didn't continue that conversation.

"So, why do _you_ like vampires?" she asked suddenly. I started a bit, not quite expecting the question. I needed another half-truth.

"They're so mysterious… and… fascinating," I stammered, feeling the easy blush gracing my face. "I suppose I'm just rather intrigued by the myth."

The girl smiled at me, her lips curving at a rather odd angle. "You're not afraid of them?" she asked curiously, dark eyes peering at me. I thought about that for a minute. I _was_ afraid, but not for the reasons that this girl would understand or need to know.

"I suppose I'll save that answer for if I ever encounter one," I replied with a wink. The girl gave a short laugh, a silence settling over us.

I glanced at my wristwatch and frowned. Just when I actually started to enjoy this store and talking to this odd girl I realized it was time to meet back up with Angela.

"I have to go," I explained, standing up and giving her a smile. "Happy vampire hunting," I offered though I immediately rejected the words in my head.

"You be careful," she said suddenly, clutching her book. "There's a rumor of vampires living not far from Port Angeles." I raised my eyebrows, trying to keep my expression blank.

"I'll be on the look out," I promised and then walked slowly over to the door. I smiled politely at the woman behind the counter, not that she noticed, and strode out onto the street.

Angela standing over by my truck, staring at the shop in worry, greeted me. Once I stepped out she immediately flashed me a smile and held up a plastic bag.

"You didn't buy anything?" she asked in her quiet voice. I was immediately glad that Jessica wasn't with us. I enjoyed Angela's company much more than Jessica's. Besides, Jessica had been rather offended when I hadn't given her the "real" reason I left Forks so suddenly for Phoenix earlier that year and hasn't been talking to me very often.

"No," I responded, stating the obvious. Angela just shrugged.

"Can't say I didn't warn you about that place," she reminded me and then climbed into the passenger seat. I felt another wave of gratitude towards her. She apparently didn't know how long it has been since I've been able to drive myself somewhere. I had missed my old truck, not that Edward's Porsche was unenjoyable.

"True," I agreed and opened the driver door. "So what did you get?"

………………………………………

That night I felt a presence in my room and smiled. Edward was back from his hunting trip.

"Hey there," I mumbled quietly and tried to roll over so I could see him. Before I could though, Edward was instantly lying next to me with a cold arm wrapped gently about my waist.

"Hello," he responded with a smile in his voice. I sighed contentedly. Nothing could match these nightly visits from Edward.

"Did you have a nice sunny day?" I asked, trying to hide my bitterness at being left behind again. He chuckled.

"It was pleasant," Edward replied casually, leaning his face down to give my cheek a kiss. I always was caught off guard when Edward decided to have this bursts of affection and had to catch my breath. "What did you do all by yourself?" he asked curiously.

"Like you don't already know," I pointed out, moving so that I was facing him now. He smiled his crooked smile at me.

"I honestly only know what Angela's mind had in it. I don't know how the bookshop was," he argued and then waited patiently. I couldn't argue with that. Besides, I had wanted to tell him about the girl in the bookshop who loved the vampires.

"You'll never guess who I talked to today…"

**A/N: So… yeah, there really wasn't a point to this. Review anyway? **


	2. Headache

**A/N: So, I have a lot of ideas for a Twilight fic but don't actually want to make a multi chapter story or make a bunch of oneshots. So I decided to put them all in here. :) So, alrighty. This should be exciting. **

**Like the last one, this oneshot will also take place during the 'summer' that Bella refers to in New Moon. And I plan on writing some oneshots about other characters as well, just at the moment the Bella/Edward thought processes are more prevalent than others. ;) **

**Bella's POV**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth against the pain in my head. It was so sharp that I was feeling a little nauseous and I just couldn't find the energy to move. What was worse, Edward was going to be up here in a matter of milliseconds and all I was going to do was get him all worked up about a stupid headache. Great.

I didn't hear him come in, like usual, but I could sense his presence once he was inside. I swear, it's as if he oiled the window because when I first moved in it used to squeak and screech so badly that I just never opened it. Now it was pulled up with ease and silence. I guess another perfect quality of his was fixing windows.

"Hi," I mumbled, hoping I sounded tired instead of pained.

"Hello," came his hesitant, silky voice. Hesitation soon melted into concern. "What's the matter?" Oh. So he had noticed that my eyes were squeezed shut and that my arm was draped across my forehead in an attempt to ward away the pain.

"It's nothing," I tried to sigh casually, forcing my eyes to open and my forearm to move back to my side against the sheets. "I'm just kind of tired."

He frowned and was at my side in an instant. I wriggled over to give him room on the bed, careful to make sure that the leg with the cast on it was far enough over, and he gladly took it once it was made available. "Bella, love, I've seen you when you're tired and you never look like you're in pain." _Damn_. "Please tell me what's wrong. What's hurting you?"

The wild concern and his lurking suspicions I was sure he had finally forced me to confess. "I just have a really bad headache. The aspirin I took an hour ago hasn't done anything and it just… really hurts." Hearing the problem out loud, I realized how silly I sounded and blushed dark red.

Apparently, Edward didn't think it was so silly. In fact, he seemed to treat it as if I'd just announced that my appendix had burst. "What do you need? Do you need some water? Should I get you another pillow?" He left the bed, causing a cool draft to linger in the spot he currently occupied.

I groaned. I just knew he would overreact. "No, I don't need anything. It just has to work its course." I reached a hand out to him where he paused halfway through my door. "Please come back." The pleading in my voice obviously won out over his frantic instincts and he was back in an unnaturally quick speed.

"What do you need?" Edward asked softly, obviously forcing himself to be calm if only for my sake. I smiled at him.

"Just you," I replied, looking directly into his topaz eyes and feeling a little bit better instantly. This seemed to please him, because a rare smile flitted across his face and he shifted closer to me.

He raised a hand to tuck some of my hair back from my face but he allowed his hand to linger for a moment. "I have an idea," he murmured, pressing his hand lightly against my forehead, then my right temple, and then my left, then back to my forehead in a quick and soothing pattern. The iciness of his touch eased the ache and I sighed, closing my eyes again.

The relief was almost immediate. Edward's hands had a similar effect to the pain that a bag of ice would have, temporarily mollifying the ache in my head. "Thanks." I felt content and it was reflected in my voice. I felt him relax as well and he allowed his hand to rest against my forehead for a moment. "You are officially better than medicine. I might never go back to it."

"Anything for you," he told me with another smile. He then removed his hand from my head, as much as it saddened me. "That does not include giving you a cold, however. My skin doesn't have a remedy for _that_."

I sighed disgruntledly but didn't ask for the hand back. My headache was gone for the moment and I turned on my side to face him, feeling more at ease and comfortable. "Does it include singing to me?" I asked, feeling both bold and shy in asking him.

"Of course." He pulled me up, carefully, against him and I leaned my head against his shoulder as he began to sing something so soft that I could hardly hear it. Breathing in the smell of him was lovely and much more enjoyable now that the throbbing was gone from my head. I was pretty sure that just the sound of Edward's voice chased away any lingering pain that might have been building up there and I was glad.

As I fell asleep pressed against him, I thought about how Edward always made everything better for me and how truly lucky I was. No, not lucky. Blessed.

**A/N: As weird as this sounds, I had this idea because of a really bad headache I had today. Not that I thought Edward should be there to make it go away I just… you know, I can't really explain the thought process. Oh well. Please review?**


	3. Big Brother

**A/N: A little detail into the relationship between Emmett and Bella. :D Please review!**

**Bella's POV**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Twilight****. **

I was hobbling around the house carefully trying to find a frying pan when I saw the movement in the trees. I paused in my reach towards a cabinet and squinted out into the surrounding forest from a window in the kitchen. The Cullens were gone on a hunting trip and I suddenly understood Edward's hesitancy of leaving me alone while Charlie was at work. The incident in Phoenix was brought back to my full attention and I nervously fingered the scar on my palm.

I tried to brush away my fear and nearly had myself convinced that there was nothing in the dense forest looking in at me. Until I saw another brief flash and I could distinctly make out a rather large human form. Shaking, I tried my best to make my way back up the stairs to my room out of some illogical ideal of safety. The cast on my leg and my natural clumsiness, however, made that nearly impossible. In my attempt at haste, I was tripping and stumbling the whole way to the stairs and I feared that I would fall and break something else.

My heart rate skyrocketed when I heard a loud howling from outside of the house and I was convinced it was the snarl of an angry vampire looking for revenge or a decent snack. Until I realized that the howling wasn't malicious at all. It was the sound of amused laughter.

A big, lumbering vampire beat me to the foot of the stairs, still laughing. "Jeez, Bella, get your heart rate under control!"

I was shocked and stared up at Emmett Cullen for longer than necessary. Finally, I heard myself reply, "What the heck are you doing here, Emmett? Aren't you all hunting today?"

"I'm probably not supposed to tell you this," Emmett admitted as he made his way to Charlie's armchair, "But we alternate hunting times so that at least one of us is around when Edward has to go away." He was still chuckling at me as he made himself comfortable. "I can't believe you got so freaked."

"So, one of you is always standing outside of my house?" I asked, still absorbing the situation and getting my heart to go back to a normal pace. It was so like Edward to do something like that in the name of my safety. And if I hadn't gotten so scared today of just a movement in the trees, I might have been annoyed with him.

"Yeah," he sad, "We're always around in case another vampire catches wind of you and wants to take a bite out of you." An impish grin suddenly broke across Emmett's face as he added, "We're also under orders to keep any gentlemen callers away also, like Newton."

I blushed furiously at the mention of Edward's jealousy of Mike. "Seriously?"

"We usually have to create some kind of distraction," he explained, "To distract him from wanting to come down this street to visit you. Kind of annoying, really. Edward probably has a good reason for it."

"Not really," I mumbled, still embarrassed that the Cullens were used as an anti-Mike shield for Edward.

"Well, we all just want to make Edward happy." Emmett paused and he looked the most serious I had ever seen the giant vampire look. "Edward gets in bad moods easily."

"I don't think he can help it," I added helpfully, the blush starting to drain from my face.

"I'm so telling him you said that," Emmett teased, another grin overtaking his features.

"You'd better not. Or I'll tell him that you actually came in to talk to me. Isn't that breaking a rule?" I threatened emptily, hoping that maybe Edward had forbidden the Cullens to let me know that they were here watching the house.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Emmett protested, "Let you have a heart attack in here thinking that you were going to be eaten today? Edward will forgive me for preventing that."

"I wasn't going to have a heart attack," I muttered, my embarrassment of my episode causing me to blush once again.

"Yes you were," Edward disagreed, smirking at me. Suddenly, he reached for the T.V. remote and swiftly turned the television on and began surfing through channels. "What kind of channels do you get?"

"Mostly sports ones," I sighed, smiling slightly at Charlie's obsession with sports. I carefully wandered over to the couch close to the chair and sat down, glad to be off my feet for a minute.

"Excellent." Emmett quickly found a station and settled down, staring at it intently.

Suddenly, I felt guilty. Instead of spending time with their families or spending their afternoons in whatever way they wished, the Cullens were forced to camp outside of my house and stare at Charlie and I all the time. It didn't seem fair. Just because I was accident-prone, it didn't mean that I should burden them.

"I'm sorry," I sighed, wondering if Emmett could even hear me. He was _very_ focused on the television.

"About what?" he asked distractedly, obviously only responding not to be rude.

"About you having to come here and take care of me," I explained, looking down at the ground where my feet were. "It's not very fair to you or anyone else who has to do it."

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged, eyes still glued to the game.

I was getting a little exasperated at that point. "No, really. It's not _your_ fault that I got into that mess in Phoenix. You shouldn't have to watch me all the time to make sure I don't get hurt." I shrugged my shoulders, moving on to examine my cast. "You shouldn't have to be separated from Rosalie on my account."

I knew that even if Rosalie and Emmett were a little more, shall we say, gratuitous with their relationship it didn't mean that their connection wasn't as deep as the one that Carlisle and Esmé or Alice and Jasper's was. I knew it hurt him to be away from Rosalie as much as it hurt me to be away from Edward. Probably even more.

"Really, don't worry about it," Emmett repeated. "You're one of us. It's what we do for each other."

I was stunned, to say the least. Emmett really felt that way about me? He felt that I was part of the family? In the simplest terms possible, Emmett had just said that he cared as much for me as he cared for the rest of his 'brothers and sisters'. I knew the level of commitment he had to his family and to think that this applied to me as well made me feel good. Really good.

"Thanks," I mumbled, turning red again.

"Edward's right," Emmett grinned, finally abandoning the game to look at me, "Making you blush really is one of the most amusing things in the world." This made me blush even harder.

"He did not say that," I protested. He probably did, just not in Emmett terms. I hoped.

I remembered that I had to take some pain medication and began to stand up to head over to the kitchen. Unfortunately, once I put pressure on my leg, I felt a slight ache shoot up it and I winced involuntarily.

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked and he sounded a little concerned.

"My leg just aches sometimes," I explained nonchalantly. "Your dad said it was normal. The time in the cast and the healing process just kind of makes it… hurt sometimes."

"Sit down," Emmett insisted, standing up himself. "What did you need?"

"I was just going to get a pill," I said and tried to continue my way to the kitchen. "Don't worry about it. I can get it."

"Please," Emmett rolled his eyes. In an instant he had gone to the kitchen, selected the proper amount of pain medication, and gotten me a glass of water to swallow it with and returned with it. "Watching you walk like a turtle to the kitchen would have been torture to watch. As funny as you are, there are limits."

I scowled at him but swallowed the pills he gave me without argument. "Very funny."

"It would have been like watching one of those woman talk shows, you know. Where all they do is talk about their boyfriends and cooking."

"Emmett…"

"You know what would be hilarious? Watching you trying to cook that gross human food with a cast on your arm instead of your leg!"

"You're not funny!"

"Or maybe the leg cast would make it funny too. You could be carrying eggs but then trip and they would break and get everywhere!!"

"Next time, I want Alice to stare at me in my house."

"Speaking of Alice, doesn't she have to help you dress in the morning?"

"Emmett!"

"Wow, look at that shade of red on your face there. I guess it's probably better than Charlie helping you dress. Jeez, you can't do _anything_ yourself with that cast on, can you?"

"Don't make me—"

"She has to help you shower too, right? Because if that cast gets wet it'll get messed up? Boy, talk about embarrassing. You got even redder!"

"Emmett, don't make me ask you to leave this house!"

"Oh, c'mon Bella. I'm only joking. Don't make me go back out there! It's so boring."

I smiled and relented. "Okay, you can stay. But no more jokes about my leg."

"Okay," Emmett agreed, shaking my hand lightly to seal the deal. "I wouldn't want to make fun of a cripple anyway. It's not politically correct."

I glared at him. "You are so lucky that I'm kind of scared of you."

"Excellent," Emmett flashed his teeth at me and I was even more aware of his brute strength coupled with his vampire abilities.

It was then, bantering and spending time with Emmett that I started to picture him as my brother. I'd always kind of wanted to have an older brother. Someone who would threaten to beat up my boyfriends and tease me all the time. I smiled at him and decided that he would make a most excellent brother, if the time ever came. And if I had my way, that time would be coming soon.

Emmett reached over and mussed my hair. "Quiet now, kid, I'm watching the game." He turned back to my T.V. and started to stare at it intensely again.

I smiled. My brother, the giant.


	4. Vampire Meets Girl

**A/N: This is the first, and probably one of the few, that will be from Edward's POV. :) It's not that I don't like writing for him. I'm just intimidated by it. ;) Anyway, this is a bunch of fluff, romantic, gaggingly sweet musings on Edward's part. What else is new, right? xD**

**And I'm sorry about the lack of updates. I was overwhelmed by college applications and stuff. Leaving high school is hard work. (sigh)**

**Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Twilight****, but I hear that some other person does. **

"Edward," Bella hissed, sending me a rather deadly glare. "Get. Me. Out. Of. This."

I sighed. As lovely as the outcome usually is for me, I don't like to see Bella have a miserable time. However, there was nothing I could do for her. I was truly helpless.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have told her that we were going on a date, love," I reminded her, throwing in a term of endearment to try and ease her annoyance. It seemed to work. She blushed a little and her defensive stance seemed to loosen.

"Fine," she sighed. "I guess you're right. It's my own fault."

This must have been what Alice was waiting for. Once she heard Bella concede she was down the stairs and giving Bella a winning smile. "Let's get started. There's so much to do!"

"Nothing too fancy, Alice," Bella warned as Alice began to drag Bella to her room. "I want to be able to walk without being worried that I'm going to drag something on the ground and ruin it."

"Don't be silly," Alice laughed in a false assurance. I could see right through her mind and already saw what she had in mind. Bella didn't stand a chance.

"I'll be waiting for you," I promised as Bella was finally about to be pulled from sight. Unable to control myself, I ran up the stairs and caught up with her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips to reassure her. Then I ran back down the steps and watched as she made her final descent into Alice's domain. Her heart rate sped up, which always flattered me, but Alice only dragged her more forcefully. Bella sent me a desperate, fleeting glance and then she was gone.

I chuckled and moved over to my piano bench to take a seat. I looked at the keys and instinctually played the opening chords of my song for Bella but I did not continue it. For some reason, today it made me too upset to finish.

It was supposed to be so simple. When I first realized the depth of my feelings for Bella earlier in the school year, I'd had it all planned out. Boy meets girl. Boy is really a vampire. Girl smells really good to vampire. Vampire manages not to kill girl.

Now, of course, this is where the plan could have diverged into a couple different options. Option A) Vampire stays away from girl for her own good. Option B) Vampire decides to try to be around girl. Of course, if the second outcome was created, there could be another number of options.

For example, vampire tries to act human. Vampire cannot be anything but friendly to girl. Vampire keeps girl safe despite emotional damage to vampire. Simple enough and very straightforward.

Vampire confesses to girl. Now, the expected outcome: vampire watches girl run away. A possible outcome: girl is not afraid of vampire. A much more complicated growth of the original scenario.

And, of course, everything but the complicated and harmful outcome was intolerable. I tried every other venue and could not stand the physical pain they brought me. I tried to ignore her and distance myself from her and I couldn't bear it. I moved on to trying to act human in order to be a part of her life but it ended up sparking her interest. I all but confessed to her my true nature and was both relieved and horrified when she didn't care. I tried to be Bella's friend, hoping that it would be enough to satisfy me only to find that it left me wanting more than I was supposed to have.

There is nothing uncomplicated about Bella. Almost every day I find myself wishing that I had the willpower to leave her and let her live her life fully with me watching from the sidelines. But then I think about all of the things I would miss and I cannot even entertain the thought. I wouldn't be able to feel the rush it gives me to hear her heart beat faster when I enter a room. I wouldn't be able to make her blush. I couldn't be there to catch her when she falls, which is a regular occurrence. Not to mention her nonhuman gifts that she gives me. I would not have the satisfaction of holding her close in my arms. I couldn't lay next to her and just watch her until she got too embarrassed to think straight. I wouldn't be able to touch her face or her hands or her waist. I wouldn't have had this wonderful, perfect summer where we could just be together in happiness.

No. To give up Bella would be intolerable. Even if this wasn't as I had planned when I first met her this was even better. I would have never thought that she would _want_ to be around me. I can't give her up now.

I sighed and leaned back slightly in my seat. Thinking about my complete inability to even think about a world without Bella in it frightened me sometimes. I didn't want to think about it anymore.

However, that was proving to be nearly impossible when I was already starting to miss her.

"Alice!" I called loud enough for Bella to hear as well. I wanted to let her know that I was _trying_ to help her. "Our reservation is in ten minutes!"

"Reservations!" I heard Bella gasp in the upstairs room and smirked. I hadn't planned on letting her know just yet because I knew it would upset her. At least this way she was a little more mentally prepared.

_She's coming_, Alice told me in her thoughts and I settled down. _I think someone misses someone else_, she teased me and I rolled my eyes.

Nearly five minutes passed and I glanced down at my watch impatiently. "Alice," I warned her in a quieter tone, a slight growl of annoyance rumbling from my chest.

_We're on our way down_, she assured me testily and I heard Bella's hasty steps coming back down to the living room. "You're so bossy," she pouted out loud, dancing ahead of Bella in an attempt to view her work coming down the stairs. "If you gave me just a little more time—"

"What are you talking about?" I murmured, looking at Bella coming down the stairs. "She looks beautiful." A quiet happiness that radiated from Alice then proved to me that she thought so too.

Bella, however, didn't seem up for flattery. "Reservations?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "Just how fancy is this place?"

I chuckled. That's my Bella. "Not too fancy," I promised. I decided to try this dazzling thing she was always telling me about in an attempt to get her to be flexible. Casually, I looked straight into her eyes and gave her a grin. It seemed to do the trick, for now.

"Fine," she relented but her voice sounded as if she were in a daze. "Let's go." Her dark blue knee-length dress rustled as she met me at the foot of the stairs.

"Your coat," Alice explained as she held out a large dark overcoat. Bella accepted it with minimal eye rolling.

"Thanks," she sighed, seeming to be beyond the point of arguing.

As she linked her arm with mine and smiled up at me trustingly, I was reminded again of the hold she had on me. Her difficulty about money had become endearing to me and going to an expensive restaurant wouldn't feel right without her balking and arguing every step of the way. Even her insecurities gave me a small delight as they gave me an excuse to tell her again and again how beautiful she was.

"Ready?" she asked hesitantly and I realized I had been staring at her. I gave her a quick grin and lead her out of the house and to the car.

"Of course," I replied, kissing the top of her head affectionately. "You really do look beautiful." As my lips lingered on her head I could feel the embarrassed heat traveling up her face and I chuckled.

Boy meets girl. Boy is really a vampire. Vampire and girl fall in love. Vampire doesn't think he can ever let the girl go. Oversimplified, perhaps, but no less true.


	5. Video Games

**A/N: Sorry for the delay between updates. :( This will once more return to Bella's perspective. And just as a warning, this one really has no point at all to it. I also think that it's the longest chapter yet.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Twilight**

I was lounging in the Cullen living room, watching all of them expectantly. It was a sunny, beautiful summer day and I had not been left behind. Instead, we were all hiding out in their home since they had only just hunted the other day. I hadn't seen all of them together in a while and I always enjoyed watching the way they sparkled together. It bothered Edward that I enjoyed it so much but I couldn't help it.

Emmett was having a particularly good time entertaining me. When I wasn't expecting it, he would suddenly step in front of a window and get hit by a large stream of sunlight. I always gasped in surprise and awe as the rainbows sprung off of his icy white skin and he would laugh uproariously.

After an hour of this, however, Edward was too irritated with Emmett to stand it anymore and Emmett was too bored with his new game to really care to continue it anyway. I suddenly realized how boring an afternoon for a vampire could be.

Alice, to the right of me, was shifting uncomfortably and her tiny feet tapped against the side of the couch. Emmett had taken to flexing his fist and looking around the room curiously. Edward didn't seem to be perplexed as he draped his arm across my shoulders but I could sense a bit of restlessness beneath his façade. I believe that poor Jasper was suffering the most, however, dealing with all of us at once. At least it wasn't a full house of bored emotions he had to deal with today. Carlisle was at work and Esmé was out looking for new curtains. I think Rosalie was just avoiding me.

"Oh come on, Edward," Emmett finally growled. "Let's just do it."

"No," Edward opposed calmly, rubbing my shoulder carefully. "We have company."

"What does he want to do?" I asked curiously.

"He got a new gaming system the other day," Alice filled in, "Complete with about fifty games to go with it." I caught the sight of her fast eye roll and smirked. Poor Emmett never seemed to have someone appreciate his love of videogames. Except for Jasper, perhaps, because I also saw him straighten up ever so slightly at the mention of the new system. "And I really don't see a problem, Edward," Alice added pointedly.

"Bella will be bored," he argued, frowning. I had to fight back an exasperated sigh.

"No, I don't mind. Really." I gave a pointed glare to Edward and he seemed to get the hint. He smiled at me apologetically and accidentally dazzled me into a brief oblivion.

"I call Player One," Emmett bellowed, reaching the game controls a millisecond before Jasper got there.

"Fine," Jasper sighed and grabbed the remaining control. Meanwhile, I regained coherency in time to see what they were doing.

"_Grand Theft Auto: Mafia Edition_?" Emmett asked with an excited grin. Jasper, of course, agreed and Emmett had the whole thing set up and started playing in the time it took me to blink. Again, I saw Alice roll her eyes from the corner of my eye-line.

I tried to follow the game but was having a hard time doing so. It seemed like Emmett and Jasper's hands were like a blur hitting the controls and their characters were moving with equal efficiency and speed. It was giving me a headache so I would occasionally look over at Edward to allow some tranquility into my thoughts.

"Careful," Alice snapped. "You'll break the game again if you keep that up. I mean it."

Obediently, Jasper slowed down his speed significantly. However, Emmett only slackened enough to get Alice to leave him alone. She narrowed her eyes dangerously but he didn't seem to notice.

Then, it seemed like the game was over. Emmett's mobster was lying dead on the ground with blood pooling around him and Jasper was smirking smugly at his own triumphant character.

"You cheated," Emmett pouted, throwing down his control. "You always distract me with feelings and things."

"It always works, too," Jasper agreed. I'd never seen the usually stiff vampire so relaxed in my presence. He must have gotten used to me at this point, or so I'd hoped.

"I can't ever play with anyone here," Emmett continued to complain, his voice growing louder. "Edward can just read my mind, Alice can predict what I'm planning on doing, Jasper can manipulate me, and anyone who's normal doesn't like videogames." Suddenly, Emmett's eyes were on me and Edward stiffened.

"Emmett…" he warned, shooting Emmett an irritated glare. I knew what was going on, even though I wasn't a part of the mental conversation. Emmett wanted me to play the game with him.

"But she's the only one I could beat!" Emmett protested. I flushed at this, knowing it was true. His speed would easily outdistance my own slow movements. And he was probably just better at this sort of thing than me. René had an old Sega machine around the house when I was growing up but it was so slow and outdated that I had never bothered. I preferred reading.

"Emmett!" Edward said again, sounding slightly angry this time. "Honestly, nearly everything that comes out of your mouth—"

"I'll give it a shot," I offered, eager to end the fight. I never liked it when Edward was angry. I would even embarrass myself if that's what it would take. Besides, I was kind of curious.

Emmett's roar of triumph drowned out any other thoughts I might have had. I covered my ears and winced, glaring over at the huge vampire indignantly.

Edward also shot a glare at Emmett, who immediately stopped and just sat in eager anticipation. Then, Edward looked at me, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "You really don't have to," he assured me. I smiled up at him and carefully moved my hands from my ears.

"It looks kind of fun," I said once I was sure my hearing was undamaged and shrugged my shoulders. "I already know Emmett will beat me, too."

Suddenly, Alice smirked and her delicate face lit up with some kind of amusement. "I think Bella should try it." I didn't miss the hint of glee that seemed to have traveled from her expression into her voice. Edward glanced in her direction curiously and then he was grinning as well.

"Have fun," Edward told me, scooping a control off of the ground and handing it to me. Then, to Emmett he added, "You have to act human if you're going to play a human."

"Fine," Emmett agreed easily. It seemed that he was just pleased to have some kind of level playing field. Level for _him_ anyway.

As Emmett reset the game, I stared down at the controller in confusion. What button did what? As if Edward could actually read my mind, he quickly showed me which ones would shoot a gun, would make my character run forward, and which one would help me drive a car. At the same time, Jasper told me what I was supposed to do and what my main goals would be. Apparently it was just to steal some cars and kill as many people as I could.

Why was I doing this again?

"Hit 'A' already," Emmett said impatiently, gripping his controller as tightly as he dared.

I tentatively hit the appropriate button and then watched as my character was chosen for me. "Aren't there any girls?" I asked, somewhat annoyed as I was shown a lean middle-aged man with stubble and slick black hair.

"Girls can't be mobsters, Bella," Emmett explained. He sounded as if this was the most natural and obvious thing in the world.

"Oh," I replied noncommittally and squinted at the screen. "What's going on?"

"Run forward," Edward instructed, scooting closer to help. "You have to find a car before Emmett does."

I looked back at the screen and saw that Emmett was already picking the lock of a car door. Nervously, I hit the button Edward had shown me earlier and my little mobster ran forward.

"Watch out for bullets," Edward added.

Despite my dislike for videogames, I couldn't help but feel nervous. Like suddenly bullets would come raining down from the sky and my little guy would be murdered in cold blood. I wished he could run faster.

Jasper glanced at me and smiled. "Don't be so nervous," he soothed me and sent waves of calm in my direction. "You're doing fine."

"Stop it," Emmett muttered distractedly. "No emotions." Jasper gave me an exasperated look and the calm stopped. At that point, though, I was already feeling better.

"Go for that car, Bella," Alice called suddenly, trying to get my attention. I stopped hitting the 'run' button in order to focus on what she was saying.

"What car?" I asked, not seeing what she was talking about.

"The yellow one!" I saw the car she meant and slowly turned myself to the car. I found that it was an unlocked car, which gave me an advantage over Emmett who almost had hotwired the car he was stealing.

From the sidelines Edward, Alice, and occasionally Jasper would shout out instructions to me. If it hadn't been for them I wouldn't have gotten anywhere at all. Haltingly, I hit the appropriate buttons and finished starting the car just after Emmett started to drive away. Apparently he didn't mind me getting extra help because he made no complaint.

"Where am I driving to?" I asked nervously, trying my best to steer the car without hitting anyone walking on the street.

"You have to find Emmett," Edward explained. "You're from opposing mobs, so you want to try and kill each other."

"And feel free to hit some of those people, Bella," Jasper suggested. "It's the whole point of the game."

I hadn't even considered that possibility. Reluctantly, I swerved the car so that it ran over a man in a business suit. But when the wheels crushed his body, I was so terrified and guilty that I immediately swerved back onto the road. Emmett snorted and Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me for not being blood-thirsty," I snapped, purposely referencing their diet. Edward didn't seem to appreciate the joke, which made me feel bad, but Emmett seemed to like it a little too much. It distracted him ever so slightly, causing him to swerve his digital car slightly into my line of sight.

"Shoot him!" Alice suddenly chirped from behind me. But Emmett had realized his mistake and was speeding away again before I could remember what button would give me a gun.

"Follow him," Edward said softly in my ear, seeming to forget about the blood comment I had made. Of course, the close proximity of his face and the feel of his cool breath on my ear and surrounding neck area made anything logical thought fly straight out of my head.

"What?" I asked stupidly and accidentally hit two buttons at once with quite a bit of force. Suddenly, my car shot forward after Emmett's and I was utilizing my previously unknown machine gun powers. Emmett yelped and I was right behind his car and blowing out the tires and breaking his windows. This all happened in a few, fast seconds and I naturally hadn't recovered from my daze in that amount of time to realize what was happening.

Once I finally realized that I'd just massacred half of the street, Emmett was dead in his car and my character was bouncing up and down in victory.

I blinked. Had I just won the game? From the triumphant noises of Jasper, Alice, and Edward it became clear that I had.

"You helped her!" Emmett accused, once more throwing down his remote. I was certain that I heard a foreboding crack as it hit the floor. "And if I was able to be a vampire I _so_ would have—"

"Oh please," Alice smirked, dancing over to Emmett and giving him an affectionate hug. "Bella has a natural talent for winning videogames."

"She has a natural talent for being too dazzled to notice," Emmett grumbled, clearly in a bad mood.

"Sorry, Emmett," I mumbled, feeling kind of embarrassed and guilty.

He shot me a sour glance but shrugged his mighty shoulders in supposed indifference. "I can't believe I lost to a _human_."

"A very talented, wonderful human," Edward added and smiled down at me. It came out crooked and I forced myself to look away. I'd already embarrassed myself enough today by being too overcome by Edward's charms to function correctly. Of course, every vampire in the room already knew that I was having such a strong reaction because they could hear my pounding heartbeat and sense the blood rushing to my face. Nothing was personal these days.

"I bet she can't win Mario Brothers," Emmett said, suddenly perking up. Edward rolled his eyes.

Alice narrowed her eyes at her relatively larger brother. "I bet she could."

"Don't bet against her," Jasper warned softly, his lips twitching into a smile. I sensed the whine in Emmett's voice before he even started to retaliate.

"Come with me a minute, Bella," Edward suggested over the ruckus of his siblings as he offered me his hand. "I purchased a new CD yesterday that I believe you will enjoy." I accepted his helping hand and walked away from the others. I'd certainly had enough of videogames for one day.

**A/N: I honestly I have no idea if there's such a thing as "Grand Theft Auto: Mafia Edition". I would think that there isn't but my knowledge of videogames is very limited. Anyway. Please review!**


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